


Come Back To Me

by disunvncia



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hugs, Kisses, M/M, Men Crying, Nightmares, They're Each Other's Emotional Support, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and cuddles, josh moves so smooth he's probably a master in the art of seduction, just saying, like most of my fics this is overly sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:08:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24907372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disunvncia/pseuds/disunvncia
Summary: Just the classic nighmare-hurt/comfort trope, because I need to see that with these two.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Josh Russo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 65





	Come Back To Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is me trying to keep the Buck/Josh fandom somewhat alive, because they're honest to God my favorite ship right now. That song "One More Drink" by GJan is the only way to describe me @ them.

Nothing cuts into Josh’s heart more like witnessing a loved one in pain; like waking in the middle of the night to his boyfriend's cries and whimpers as he squirms in a restless sleep. Around Buck’s eyes are wet due to him crying. Them being closed, causing his lids and lashes to smother his tears before they can leak down his cheeks. His hands clutch at the top of the sheets by his waist. His head lightly thrashes back and forth as if he were shaking it, silently crying _no_. At the end of the bed his feet kick hastily, adding bunches and wrinkles to the thin sheets atop him and Josh.

Whatever's going on inside his head, Buck’s facing it alone. That’s one last thing about this that Josh needs to think about. 

Within a matter of seconds Josh is reacting; reaching out to Buck fast but gently. He brings a thumb to stroke lightly over the hair on the front of Buck’s head, and his other hand goes to knead at Buck’s forearm, where he’s still gripping tight at the blankets. Slowly Josh can feel his grip relaxing under his palm, untensing at the comforting pressure.

“Baby,” Josh whispers. He brings his hand down from Buck’s hair for a moment to dry the area around under both of his eyes, before settling to rub his thumb about his cheek.

Buck’s whimpers haven’t quite stopped, but Josh can feel him reactively curling closer to him. “Come back to me.” He moves his hand from his wrist over to his knuckles; slowly trying to rub at his hand until it loosens up for him. Then he limply tangles their fingers together in a messy weave pattern. Something Buck does to him a lot when they’re playing with each other’s fingers post sex.

“Ev?” Josh leans in to press his face into the mess of curls on Buck’s head. “Darling, wake up.” He presses a kiss there, then moves back into Buck’s line of sight. Leisurely, Buck’s stopped shaking, the whimpers becoming less and less but still there.

“Evs,” Josh whispers one last time. A few seconds later the sleeping man is opening his eyes blearily. He blinks them into focus, settling them over Josh and they shine in fear. 

“There you are.” 

“Wh-” Poor guy’s so scared and doesn’t know why. 

“You had a nightmare. Do you remember it?”

_Now_ he does. 

Buck’s eyes scrunch shut in cringe, and his bottom lip slowly starts to quiver, but forcely stops when he bites down on it. A moment passes as Josh lets Buck catch up, returning his hands to his own space.

When Buck unwillingly slips out a cry, though, he’s right back there for him. His hands grab and latch onto both of his, squeezing tight for a few seconds, “I’ve got you,” and letting go to engulf Buck in a strong hug. Josh scoops him up into his chest and feels as Buck’s arms wrap around his back in return. “Nothing’s hurting you, baby.”

Buck’s arms squeeze Josh tighter. At the same time he sniffles; a poor attempt at gaining more composure. “The water,” he cries almost incoherently. “It was so strong.”

So that’s what Buck was dreaming about, the tsunami. It wasn’t the first time Josh has been there to see Buck waking from terrorizing nightmares about it. Occasionally Buck would open up about it, telling Josh stories, sometimes from his nightmares, sometimes from the actual thing. It would be painful for the both of them, Buck having to relive it and Josh having to hear about it, but it was also healing. It was one of those things that brought them closer; having those nights, when they needed them, to vent or cry and have the other just listen. It became a little easier each time. Not the reliving trauma part, but the sharing part. Them being able to gain more safety and trust in the other.

Josh squeezes back just as tight, trying to be there for him in any and every way possible. “It was, but you were so much stronger. You _are_ so much stronger.” His own eyes prick with tears not big enough to fall. “And it’s not here. Not anywhere near you.”

Buck starts to feel a relief, a sudden grace of safety. He’s so thankful for the man embracing him and keeping him top-side. “I love you,” he thanks. Finally, his breathing has steadied. Cries subsiding and giving him room in his throat to breathe smoothly again.

“I love you too, baby,” Josh chokes a little; a few stray tears deviating down his face. 

Buck worms a hand from behind Josh’s back and up to his face, as he pulls slightly away. A palm now on Josh’s cheek, he angles in, closing his lips around Josh’s own. His face is still streaked with tears, and his lips are plenty wet from all the crying, but it just makes the kiss all the more reassuring. This man loves him, in sickness and in health, and won’t stop keeping him safe for anything. The kiss doesn't deepen, and it doesn’t need to. They just pull apart for a second only to latch on once again. Lips parting again, Buck tends him one last peck before meeting his eyes.

“I appreciate you.”

“You’re my lifeline,” Josh justifies. “Looking out for you and wanting to, isn't a question.”

Buck’s bottom lip trembles once again, a smile gracing them as he moves to wipe his eyes. “I just stopped crying.” he complains, laughing when Josh does, because it’s contagious. 

“You okay to go back to sleep?”

“Yeah. I feel a lot better now.”

They move to lay on their sides with Josh wrapping his arms around Buck from behind, his head cradled in the barely there crevice, between his and Buck’s pillows. His smaller arms wrap around Buck’s bigger frame, and Buck feels more guarded than he would if he were being held in the bigger arms of someone else. Their hands twine together like a safety net, and nothing other than Josh’s presence could make Buck feel more secure.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you sm for reading!


End file.
